Patch 4.2 - Firelands Daily Area Mini Preview
Firelands (Patch 4.2, not 4.1) will be more than the raid instance originally promised, it will also include a new questing area and probably a couple of other surprises! Below is the ugly map of the area I made based on the minimap files and a couple of screenshots.

I don't have a lot more information about it for the moment, but it's still a nice sneak peek at the zone!

Firelands Daily Zone - Map

Note: It's Malfurion's Breach, not Reach. ><

Firelands Daily Zone - Screenshots

Disclaimer - These screenshots are from an early beta of the zone and are not representative of what you will be able to experience on live servers. Live servers will have a polished zone with monsters, tons of decorative elements, etc ... Anything that moves is basically not on these screenshots.

Anniversary Video: A History of Blizzard Entertainment

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker)

Did you know that Blizzard Entertainment was originally founded under a completely different name? What is the significance of Jawassic Park in the context of Blizzard Entertainment's art culture? Whatever happened to Orcs in Space? These and many, many more questions are answered in the full-length video we've just released on the Blizzard 20th Anniversary site. Clocking in at almost an hour, this video features candid commentary from the people who have spent the last two decades creating the games that helped make Blizzard Entertainment the company it is today.

Despite having to farm SR gear for BT, it was worth it and made it feel like a bigger accomplishment. I mean imagine they do bring back resist gear needed....and then Firelands is as epic as BT or something. Worth it. And yeah it was a progression halter...but that was fine. There was so much to do anyway.

It was called challenge. And like it or not, usually challenge equals fun in a long run... That's why new games usually bore me out faster, since they're too convenient to play through.

there was nothing challenging, nor fun about having to craft crappy blue quality gear for 40 people in order to down one boss. c**kblocks like FR gear is just about the lamest, and laziest mechanic a developer can rely on in order to make something "hard".

---------- Post added 2011-03-08 at 10:35 AM ----------

Originally Posted by blablablablablabla

Why are you playing something that bores you? I dont get this at all. When i log into wow its to have fun and relax and thats exactly what i get. If you dont enjoy it then why on earth are you doing it? Unless you get paid to do it there is no reason to do stuff you dont like, especially paying for doing it.

let alone paying to do it, so he can complain on a 3rd part site about having to play a game that bores him.

there was nothing challenging, nor fun about having to craft crappy blue quality gear for 40 people in order to down one boss. c**kblocks like FR gear is just about the lamest, and laziest mechanic a developer can rely on in order to make something "hard".

I'm guessing the people saying these things are kids. Back in the old days of games things like that made perfect sense or having to go back to the first area of a game to get an item and then hoof it bakc to the new area was pretty normal. The fact is that long haul stuff and resistances are a basic part of games for alot of older folks. Well at least those who didn;t grow up on FPS games and played games that had alot of things to do without any multiplayer.

It was called challenge. And like it or not, usually challenge equals fun in a long run... That's why new games usually bore me out faster, since they're too convenient to play through.

'Cock blocks' like resistance fights were hardly a challenge... more of a time sink.

The last resistance check fight in BT was probably the worst time sink ever considering the farming needed to be done in actual raids in order to do the content. Stupidest implementation ever, force players to do content for several weeks just to down the next boss.

I'm guessing the people saying these things are kids. Back in the old days of games things like that made perfect sense or having to go back to the first area of a game to get an item and then hoof it bakc to the new area was pretty normal. The fact is that long haul stuff and resistances are a basic part of games for alot of older folks. Well at least those who didn;t grow up on FPS games and played games that had alot of things to do without any multiplayer.

I'm guessing the people saying these things are kids. Back in the old days of games things like that made perfect sense or having to go back to the first area of a game to get an item and then hoof it bakc to the new area was pretty normal. The fact is that long haul stuff and resistances are a basic part of games for alot of older folks. Well at least those who didn;t grow up on FPS games and played games that had alot of things to do without any multiplayer.

kids or not, its correct.
it never was a challenge getting fire resist back in classic, shadow resist in TBC, or frost resist in wrath.
it was just i time sink, not that I'm against time sinks.
i just hate reworking a new set of gear after i got my current set up perfect.

I'm guessing the people saying these things are kids. Back in the old days of games things like that made perfect sense or having to go back to the first area of a game to get an item and then hoof it bakc to the new area was pretty normal. The fact is that long haul stuff and resistances are a basic part of games for alot of older folks. Well at least those who didn;t grow up on FPS games and played games that had alot of things to do without any multiplayer.

I'm guessing you're an omniscient being and know for sure who the posters are, and it has nothing to do with the fact people's tastes are different, and some don't like long un-challenging grinds put into games to lengthen their playtime at the cost of fun and creativity.

Just because something used to be done like this doesn't mean it has to be this way always - not to dumb things down so that "kids" can play and "veterans" can be elitist about it, but because some ways are better. It's nice that you have some nice memories, but nostalgia glasses aren't always good.

I didn't mind it but it wasn't my favorite. They won't bring back resistance gear, there's no point. Blizzard does really well with raid mechanics though, and progression. They have their hiccups but everyone has had fun raiding. If you haven't, well....you're not a person and thus not part of everyone

I enjoy their splitting of raids. It reminds me of the end of FF6 (EN 3) where you had to split. Like first boss in SWP or going in the stomach of C'Thun. They have nice ideas. I think Firelands will be pretty epic, I mean, it has to be!

It was called challenge. And like it or not, usually challenge equals fun in a long run... That's why new games usually bore me out faster, since they're too convenient to play through.

What was actually challenging about gathering a set amount of Fire, Frost, Shadow, Nature resitance? Really tell me what the challenge was? It was invicible walls put up to slow down guilds from progressing as fast as they could have.

You cant in no way whatsoever actually convince me that getting resistance gear was ever challenging.

Originally Posted by Sorrior

I'm guessing the people saying these things are kids. Back in the old days of games things like that made perfect sense or having to go back to the first area of a game to get an item and then hoof it bakc to the new area was pretty normal. The fact is that long haul stuff and resistances are a basic part of games for alot of older folks. Well at least those who didn;t grow up on FPS games and played games that had alot of things to do without any multiplayer.

Are you actually saying everyone who doesn't see resistance gear grinding and whatnot as interesting things has to be kids?

Sure it makes perfect sense to backtrack in games, I love backtracking if it's done right in games, but the case of resistance gear in WoW was not entertaining or fun, it was nothing more then just a cheap time sink because they had nothing better to come up with at the time.

It adds an extra dimension to fights and the game world iteslf in my mind. I mean think about it think about the feel of finally getting all that armor done and then walking into an area to kill a big bad boss and finally achioeving it. The anticipation the waiting and then finally killing him i;m sorry but even just the thought of that i find exciting. Plus having to gain all that gear i could see just increasing the feel of how dangerous this guy is and that you;re actually fighting him. Then again it;s probably just the nerd in me that feels that way.

It adds an extra dimension to fights and the game world iteslf in my mind. I mean think about it think about the feel of finally getting all that armor done and then walking into an area to kill a big bad boss and finally achioeving it. The anticipation the waiting and then finally killing him i;m sorry but even just the thought of that i find exciting. Plus having to gain all that gear i could see just increasing the feel of how dangerous this guy is and that you;re actually fighting him. Then again it;s probably just the nerd in me that feels that way.

It's true. I know what you mean. And it wasn't THAT hard to get SR gear to fight Mother Shahraz...considering how much people farm reputation and do dailies, resist gear farming is the same exact thing. You're farming the raids anyway...if they can time it so by the time you're at the boss you already have almost enough mats to make the gear, why would it matter anyway? I'd be fine with that. I think FR gear is perfectly fine to be honest...if they do it right. It'll add a nice sense of old style yet not make you farm it too hard. Is there anything wrong with resist gear in that sense?

What was actually challenging about gathering a set amount of Fire, Frost, Shadow, Nature resitance? Really tell me what the challenge was? It was invicible walls put up to slow down guilds from progressing as fast as they could have.

You cant in no way whatsoever actually convince me that getting resistance gear was ever challenging.

Are you actually saying everyone who doesn't see resistance gear grinding and whatnot as interesting things has to be kids?

Sure it makes perfect sense to backtrack in games, I love backtracking if it's done right in games, but the case of resistance gear in WoW was not entertaining or fun, it was nothing more then just a cheap time sink because they had nothing better to come up with at the time.

Yeah i guess and i can see some of your points but again it;s kinda the feel of the idea of having to prep JUST for that guy or his area that could make it so much more epic. Maybe if they found a new way to implement it but i still like rei think it could add an extra dimension to the game if done rigth or at least a better feel. Right now my main is raid geared and one of the few in my guild so i really don;t feel like i have much to do other than log on on raid night and see if we'll actually be raiding that day. At least gather res gear or working for it would give me something to do. Also it would be useful for LW, BS and other crafters to do again. Hell i even miss the specializations. I guess you could say that while i like the easier aspects or simpler in some ways leveling and smoother content at the same time i miss the challenges we used to have. Do yeah i guess i'm suffering from nostalgia but it's more of a generalized form than just wow related.

Yeah i guess and i can see some of your points but again it;s kinda the feel of the idea of having to prep JUST for that guy or his area that could make it so much more epic. Maybe if they found a new way to implement it but i still like rei think it could add an extra dimension to the game if done rigth or at least a better feel. Right now my main is raid geared and one of the few in my guild so i really don;t feel like i have much to do other than log on on raid night and see if we'll actually be raiding that day. At least gather res gear or working for it would give me something to do. Also it would be useful for LW, BS and other crafters to do again. Hell i even miss the specializations. I guess you could say that while i like the easier aspects or simpler in some ways leveling and smoother content at the same time i miss the challenges we used to have. Do yeah i guess i'm suffering from nostalgia but it's more of a generalized form than just wow related.

I'm all for challenges, I love challenges, but I dont consider it a challenge to have to spend tim gathering gear you'll only use for a couple of bosses to completely avoid a mechanic they added to a boss simply because they wanted you to go out and grind and spend time on it. Add real propper challenging time sinks sure, but just stale grinds I dont see as a challenge at all.

I'm all for challenges, I love challenges, but I dont consider it a challenge to have to spend tim gathering gear you'll only use for a couple of bosses to completely avoid a mechanic they added to a boss simply because they wanted you to go out and grind and spend time on it. Add real propper challenging time sinks sure, but just stale grinds I dont see as a challenge at all.

Well as i;ve been trying to say there is justa "feel" that seems tio be lacking these days like somethings just gone or diminished i can;t even put words to it but it really does seem like somethings missing and this i could see gibing some of it back.